Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a multipurpose vehicle including a gear transmission device that changes speed of power from an engine through a shifting operation.
Description of Related Art
An example of such a multipurpose vehicle is disclosed in JP 2012-515071A or US 2012/0055728 A1 corresponding thereto. This multipurpose vehicle includes an engine, a belt-type continuously (steplessly) variable transmission device, a gear speed-changing mechanism and a differential mechanism that are disposed on a power transmission path through which power from the engine is transmitted to drive wheels. A steering wheel, an accelerator pedal and a shift lever are disposed in a driver's section. When traveling is to be performed at a low speed, the gear speed-changing mechanism is switched to a low gear using the shift lever. When traveling is to be performed on an ordinary road or the like at a medium or high speed, the gear speed-changing mechanism is switched to a high gear. Adjustment of the vehicle speed is performed using the accelerator pedal.
Since gears of the gear speed-changing mechanism is usually switched using the shift lever while the engine is driving, if the engine speed is increased by depressing the accelerator pedal when coupling of gears responsive to a gear shift operation is incomplete, gear noise occurs.
In view of the above-described circumstances, it is desired to avoid the occurrence of gear noise that is caused by an increase in the engine speed when coupling of gears of a gear transmission device is incomplete.